The Nation Newspaper

Tag: road construction

  • Road construction and government monitoring

    Road construction and government monitoring

    Road and road furnitures are significant causes of road accidents in Nigeria. It is however disheartening that governments always take pride in the award of contracts for road construction without taking adequate measures in monitoring the jobs to ensure compliance with the quality standards.

    One quick example is the ongoing Mile 12 to Ikorodu road construction work. In February this year when rain has not even started , I accosted a few of the engineers of the construction company and  took them to various parts of the road which they have already tarred and I pointed to them that when rain starts, water will not flow in those portions, emphasising that water deposit always weaken the coal tar thereby making the road to fail very rapidly.

    The engineers argued with me that water will flow freely on the portions I complained about maybe because they saw me as an ordinary citizen and not a government official they could listen to.

    Shortly after the rain started, they discovered I was right in all my observations and they are now devising fire brigade solutions some of which may not produce the right results. Most of the water conduit channels they are constructing now are higher than the tarred road levels.

    Except another layer of Coal tar is still going to be put on the one already laid on the Ikorodu – Mile 12 road, the current level is lower than the water conduit holes meaning that some parts of the road will be flooded whenever it rains and more sand will continuously gather at the edges of the roads.

    Some portions of this same Mile 12 – Ikorodu road are too narrow to accommodate two trucks or articulated vehicles side by side. With the envisaged speed of drivers, these narrow portions could become accident and death traps.

    The road median edges are without reflectives thereby making some vehicles to crash into them. The on-going markings on the roads are questionable at some points, particularly where three lanes merged into two. This is a safety risk. Government officials need to visit and effect the corrections.

    The complexity of the new Mile 12 – Ikorodu road, particularly Majidun, Ogolonto and Agric areas among others will turn the road to a death trap with high rate of accidents and fatalities if nothing is done now to critically and proactively effect the necessary amendments with safety as the major goal.

  • Shell’s N24.4b Ogbia-Nembe road construction nears completion

    Shell’s N24.4b Ogbia-Nembe road construction nears completion

    It was a landmark achievement for the oil communities of Nembe and Ogbia in Bayelsa State as the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd), accompanied by a team from the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC)-operated Joint Venture (JV) drove to Nembe city through the Ogbia – Nembe road being constructed by Setraco.

    The trip marked an important milestone in the construction of the key highway in the Niger Delta.

    According to Shell’s spokesman, Precious Okolobo, Phase 1 of the project linking Imiringi and Ogbia involved a 38-kilometre stretch with two major bridges and was completed in 2005, funded solely by the SPDC JV while phase 2 links Ogbia and Nembe, measuring a distance of over 27 kilometres with six bridges and more than 50 culverts across very difficult swamp terrain.

    Okolobo said contract for this phase was awarded in December 2005 and work commenced in February the following year but has been disrupted several times by security challenges. The phase 2 project, he said, costs N24.4 billion of which the SPDC JV is funding 70 per cent with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) responsible for the remaining 30 per cent.

    The entourage of the Deputy Governor which included members of the Bayelsa State Executive Council and traditional rulers, Okolobo said, stopped briefly at the project office site, where the contractor disclosed that the road was 60 per cent completed, and complained of disruptions to dredging activities by community youths.

    He said the Deputy Governor warned against such activities, saying that perpetrators would face the “full weight of the law.” Rather, all genuine grievances should be channelled to government for quick resolution.

    The entourage was warmly received at Nembe by the Amanyanabo of Nembe (Mingi X11) Dr. Edmund Daukoru and his council of chiefs. He expressed delight at the progress of work and lauded SPDC, NDDC and the Baylesa State Government as well as the contractor “for making the dream of the Nembe people come true.” He pointed out that the Ogbia-Nembe Road would improve the economy of the area.

    Shell’s Government and Community Relations Manager, Evans Krukrubo who led SPDC’s team said: “This is history in the making. Nobody believed this will happen, but it is true, we have come to Nembe by road. SPDC Joint venture is pleased to play a major role in making this happen.”